To Spin a Lifetime of Love
by ForeverRumbelle
Summary: Three year old Baelfire is a fast growing boy, but who can he trust? Milah beats him constantly, trying to make him brave so that he won't be like her cowardly husband. Rumple tries to raise his boy, to show him that his father will always be there for him. Will Bae grow up and go to war for his mother Milah or will the love of another woman change their seemingly unavoidable fate?
1. Chapter 1: Forever and Always

**I do not own any of the Once Upon a Time Characters.**

 **This is basically just going to be some of Baelfires life if perhaps the incident of his father abandoning him had happened later or not at all. Anyways, I wanted to pry into the idea of them having a good relationship, and the joy it would have brought him as a young child.**

Forever and Always

"Where is Mama, Baelfire," Rumple asks his son, who sits by the fire playing with some stones he had found on the street. The little boy turns at the sound of his fathers voice and runs to give his father a hug.

"She told me that I was spos'd to sit by the fire and play with my rocks cause she needs to go away again. I listened but I was all alone and I got scared so I brought my blanket and hided for a long time." Rumple sighs, brushing his fingers through his sons brown curly hair. "Papa?"

"Yes, Bae?"

"Why won't mama play with me?" He pulls his son's face into his chest as he tries to answer, blinking back the tears that begged to fall from his tired eyes.

"Sometimes, Bae, people make wrong choices. But mama loves you, okay?" He waits for an answer but does not receive one. He feels something wet on his chest and looks down to find tears falling from his sons eyes into his shirt.

"I want Mama to love me like you do, Papa," he cries, "all the other boys – they have nice mamas but my mama hits me and goes away."

"Bae," he pleads, kissing his forehead. "Sweet Bae, Mama doesn't mean it." Letting his staff fall to the floor he limps to the rocking chair, holding his son tightly to his chest. "Sweet Bae," he repeats over and over. "Oh my boy, but I do love you. I will always love you."

"Always Papa?" Baelfire chokes out, curling into a little ball and resting his head on Rumple's shoulder. He rubs his nose on the back of his sleeve."Always is a long time, Papa. What if you have to go away?" Rumple wipes away his son's tears with his calloused thumbs, and smiles a bit when Bae does, even through his little hitched breaths.

"Then Bae," he replies. "My sweet Bae, I will come back so that I can finish my always."

"What about when you finish always, Papa? Will you be like Mama then?" Rumple sighs, his three year old son so full of questions and insecurities he shouldn't even have to think about. All because of Milah. Bae waits patiently for an answer and lays his head back on his Papa's shoulder. He hiccups and Rumple rubs the little one's back. Milah probably hadn't even napped him today.

"Well then we have to start forever, Sweet Bae."

"But Papa," he asks. "Is forever longer then always?"

"Yes Bae. Much, much longer, so much longer that it never even has a finish." Bae yawns and fights to keep his little eyes open long enough to ask another question.

"Promise, Papa?"

"Oh Bae, my precious little boy. I promise." He lets out another yawn.

"Papa?" he whispers.

"Yes son?"

"I love you forever and always too." Rumple closes his eyes, hugging his son tighter to his chest as his breathing deepens.

"Don't worry, sweet Bae," he whispers into the child's sleeping form. "I will never let you go."

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Bae wakes up to hear harsh whispers and footsteps roaming towards the door. It opens.

"I don't want the cowards son," his mother says, "Either I make him brave or throw him to the dust, Rumpelstiltskin. He would be better of dead then like his father." The door slams shut and he jumps out of bed, desperate to find that at least one parent was there. The fireplace is empty and the kitchen too, he runs outside and someone grabs his arm.

"Mama! Papa!" he yells. "Ill be good, I promise!" He cries out as someone slaps his thigh.

"You were never good, Bae," his mother seethes. She slaps his leg over and over as he tries to get away. He begins to cry at the sting. "You know better then to be out this late, Baelfire!" She yells between swats.

"I promise ill be real good, Mama. Real good. . ." She lifts him off the ground and paddles his thigh a few more times before dropping him and walking away, leaving him crying in the dirt.

"Then stay in your bed like a good boy," she returns cruelly. "And stay out of _my life."_ He continues to sob until someone comes out of the shadows.

"Mama?" he questions, unable to see through his tears. Rumple bends down and shakily lifts Bae back into the safety of his arms. He buries his face into Papa's soft wool coat.

"Bae, Sweet Bae," he whispers hoarsely, feeling all the more cowardly for not being able to stand up for him. He gently rubs his sons thigh as he cries, knowing he would be feeling it for days. With Bae holding tightly onto him, Rumple slowly limps up to his room and sets the little boy in Milah's and his bed before crawling into it himself. He watches as his son shivers alone on top of the blankets and reaches out to caress his tear stained cheek.

"Come on sweet boy, come to Papa," he whispers gently. Bae rolls into his fathers chest before slowly bringing himself to calm down. "Sweet Bae," his father whispers over and over as he combs through his hair. "My precious Bae."

Eventually, he closes his eyes and the two of them fall asleep together, Bae comforted and warm in his fathers arms and Rumple content that at least for one night he could keep his son away from his abusive mother.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

"Papa," Bae whispers. His father lays there, his eyes closed and his breathing deep. "Papa, wake up!" He squirms out of his Papa's tight grip and pokes his chest a few times, trying to awaken him. "Papa! Papa, it's tomorrow!" He doesn't even stir, just lays there. He shakes the bed a bit and sits, waiting for him to open his eyes. "Papa! It's morning time and you said we have to wake up at morning time cause the cows and sheeps are hungry." He sits on his fathers stomach and shakes him a bit. "Papa!" he yells as his fathers hands come up by his waist and lift him into the air. He laughs as Rumple sets him down beside him, tickling his little feet. "Papa stop it!" he laughs, trying to hold his fathers strong hands still. Weaving and spinning day in and day out had taken its toll on Rumple's body. His hands were large and calloused but also very strong. It would be years before his son would ever become a challenge to him. "Papa!" his son giggles, trying to get away. Rumple sits up, combing his hair back and planting a small kiss on Bae's head before limping downstairs. His son tries to keep up behind him, his little waddle bringing a smile to his father's weary face. Rumple slips on his cloak and wraps a small blanket around his son to keep him warm in the chilly winter breeze. With the little amount of money they had, he could never afford a doctor. If Bae got sick with pneumonia and died, Rumple would have nothing to live for. He had to keep his son as healthy as possible.

Rumple does not need to tell his son to follow along – he does so without thought, laughing and giggling and talking the entire way to their small barn.

"Time for a new day," he breaths as the musty smell greets him through open doors. He looks down at his son, who stares at him with those big brown eyes and waits for his Papa to continue. _Forever and Always._

 **Any thoughts, dearies? I am writing this partially dreaming of the father I would want and the father I see inside Rumpelstiltskin, always caring for his son no matter what. But srsly, Milah makes me so mad so please do not be angry when I show what a horrid person she is, inside and out. Baelfire deserves so much better! I will write more if y'all would like me to but if it isn't going anywhere, I will start over.**


	2. Chapter 2: Just A Little Babe

**I do not own any of the Once Upon a Time Characters.**

Just a Little Babe

"Mama! Mama!" Baelfire calls as she begins to walk away with another man. He had come

over to the house for a bit after Papa left to get straw. "Mama! Mama come back!"

"Bae!" she yells. "Shut up!"

"But Papa said that you were going to stay with me while he was away!" She groans and the tall

man with dark black hair looks back, and turns to tell Milah something. She continues to walk away as

he makes his way back over to Bae, who stands at the door staring at his mother. He bends on one knee and turns the boy's face towards him until they make eye contact. Bae begins to speak, fighting back tears when he realizes that his mother is leaving again, and that he will be forced to spend the day alone.

"Mama is spos'd to stay with me – why doesn't she want to stay with me? You can stay too, and papa, he is really nice he would be nice to you." The man shakes his head and looks down.

"Lad, that is not how it works. Your Mama and I have to spend today together, and your a big boy, aren't you? Do you really need Mama to watch you or can you be a big boy and do it yourself?" He looks to the ground and shuffles his feet. "That's a good lad, now, go play with your toys and your mother will return in a little bit." The man stands back up and runs to catch up with Milah, who doesn't even bother to look back.

"I'm a big boy, right?" he mumbles to himself. "That means that I can go find Papa and surprise him!" Happy with the idea of pleasing his father he shuts the door, and begins to weave through the streets. Many of the children stare at him, and parents point, concerned for the child's safety as horses swerve sharply to avoid him and carts are brought close to tipping. Baelfire doesn't notice though – all he can think about is finding his Papa. He passes house after house down the streets his mama had led him down before. Someone grabs his arm and he turns to find a man staring down at him angrily.

"What are you doing, boy? Where are your parents?" he growls. "You an orphan?" Bae shakes his head, pulling away.

"Let me go! I am looking for my Papa!"

"Who's your Papa!" He grips the boys arm tighter and jerks him sharply towards him.

"The spinner! He spins!" The man lets go, and stares at his hands as if he has touched something filthy.

"Stay away from my shop, bastard! I don't wanna see you here again!" he pushes the boy into some mud and stomps off into his shop, yelling at the boy to get away.

"You're just like my Mama! You're mean!"

"Get away!" he yells, moving to approach the boy again. Bae backs away and runs across the street, only causing more chaos and screams from other mothers. He didn't understand why they were so worried, his own mother had never cared what he did unless she deemed it a sin. Then he got whipped, and it hurt, bad, but every mother punishes their child – that is what she had told him. That the only way he could not be like his father is if she beat him. She could never make him stop loving his Papa though, he loved his Papa the most of anybody.

It isn't long before dusk approaches and a cold wind begins to blow. The sky turns red with pink clouds, and birds fly back to their nests to sleep, singing the last song of the day. "Papa!" Bae calls. He had already walked down so many streets, so many roads and had been nearly trampled by what seemed like a thousand horses. People had cursed at him, spit at him, told him to go dig himself a hole and die. Everyone except most of the mothers – they were nice as long as he kept away from their children. He figured his Papa would have been somewhere around here but he was gone, and every time he tried to turn and go back home he became more and more lost. "Papa!" he calls again. "Papa!" People look out the windows at the boy and turn back. It was known to be dangerous at night with the wolves and coyotes that would prowl around the towns – even an ogre now and then could be seen in the distance, keeping watch on its prey.

Bae was not afraid of the dark, nor of the animals that lurked within but of the prospect that at four and a half years old, he would become lost and never see his Papa again. The tall man with the pitch black hair had said he was a big boy – don't big boys travel themselves? They don't sit at home and draw with chalk or play with little wooden toys, or tie straw into knots. Big boys don't cry either – but he had seen his Papa cry once. He didn't know why but he knew he was crying as he held him close in their rocking chair after his mother had hit him. He had a big bruise on his head but Bae had long since stopped crying over that – it was when his father came home and saw it that he became so upset. _My boy,_ he had said, _I am so sorry. I would have saved you, I would have._ He didn't remember anything else after that, just the crackling of the fire and his father's pleading voice.

"Bae!" Someone calls. "Baelfire, please come back! Precious Bae!" He turns and sees his

father limping down the street in a fury.

"Papa!" he yells, and runs as fast as he can to meet him. He jumps into his arms nearly knocking the poor man down, grasping on to him and crying. "Papa your here! Your here! I'm not a lost boy, your here!" His father runs his fingers through his sons curly, but stiff hair as he holds onto him, afraid if he let go that he might lose the only person he could trust. "I'm so sorry, Papa, I wanted to find you, I wanted to surprise you like all the other boys make their Papa's happy but I got lost and there were so many roads and cows and horses, and a man grabbed me and told me to get away, and that he never wanted to see me again and I don't know why, he was so mad at me but all I was doing was looking for you because Mama left with the tall man and he told me that I was a big boy and should stay at home but I was lonely and wanted to find you!" He finally stops to catch his breath and looks up to his Papa, who sighs with relief at the finding of his only son. He takes his hand, and begins towards the house. They would need to talk but not in the middle of the streets, it was too dangerous for that. People hated him – the last thing the spinner wanted was for his son to see a man curse him out or the teenage boys to throw rocks at him.

An half hour later they arrive home, and Baelfire is so tired he nearly stumbles through the door.

The fire crackles loudly as he prepares their supper, basically standing on one leg. Walking had always been a pain ever since the incident – the people were so ashamed of him that they didn't even bother to set his leg correctly. It would be very swollen in the morning. Rumple whispers a silent prayer as he pours the stew into the two bowls that he would still be able to walk – without pain medication his leg became so excruciating that he was at times left with no option but to sit in bed rubbing it. Bae lays his head on the table.

"I'm tired, Papa. I don't want to eat." He rubs his hand through his son's hair.

"I know you must be very tired, but you have to eat, son. Even if it is just a little bit I need you to be strong for tomorrow."

"Why do I have to be strong?"

"So that you can help me with our cow and our goat." He sighs and closes his eyes. "Bae, sit up and eat before you fall asleep, if not for yourself, do it for me. Anyways, you wouldn't want me to finish first." This catches his attention, and he sits up.

"Why?"

"Because then, I would have to chase you all around the house until you were hungry enough to eat, and by then, all your food would be cold." Bae smiles and looks down at his food. Usually, this would have motivated him not to eat his food, just so he could play with his Papa but his feet were sore, and his head hurt. He decides to eat his food, still hoping that he and Papa would have time to do something together.

The two of them finish about the same time, even though Bae eyes are beginning to droop at the end of the meal and Rumple ends up spoon feeding him the other half, he still picks him up, ignoring his leg, and brings him to the rocking chair beside the fire.

"Baelfire?" he says softly into his sons hair. He looks up and stares at his Papa, dazed. "What you did today frightened me. I almost lost my little boy out on the streets." He cups Bae's cheek with the side of his hand and rubs his thumb against it. "I love you, Bae. You are everything to me, and the thought of losing you, it, it kills me. It hurt me, not knowing if I would have to sleep alone tonight, eat alone tonight, sit by the fire alone tonight, leaving you with nothing but the cold, bare ground, in which you could have never survived with the creatures I have told you about roaming the streets." At the thought of being alone, on the street, without the safety of his Papa's arms as he laid here tonight by the fire, tears began to fall down the little boy's cheeks.

"I was scared too, Papa. I thought you would never find me but all I wanted to do was surprise you." He lays his head back down on his Papa's shoulder and he continues to rock. "I am sorry, Papa. I didn't mean . . . I didn't mean to hurt you instead."

"Sshh, son, quiet now. No need to cry just promise me something." He looks back into his Papa's eyes as his father takes a handkerchief out of his pocket, and wipes his son's eyes until they are dry. "Promise me you will never go out of this house again like that, Bae. The biggest surprise I ever receive is when I walk in this door, and you pitter patter towards me on your little feet with the biggest smile, as if seeing me is the most amazing thing that could ever happen to you. Nobody else does that for me, only you."

"But I love you, Papa. I want to spend all my time with you, everyday, until forever ends and we can start the always just like you said. But you were busy, Papa, and Mama likes the tall man better." He lays his head back on his Papa's shoulder and Rumple carries his son to his bed, laying him down gently on the thin straw mattress and pillow.

"Do you promise?" he says as he lays the blanket over him. Bae smiles and sits up.

"If you let me sleep with you I promise."

"Why do you need to sleep with me?" Bae becomes serious and Rumple begins to worry.

"Because, Papa, I am lonely here in the other room and cold, and you make sure the nightmares stay away. And I missed you all day, Papa, and we didn't have time to play today." Rumple picks his son back up and brings him to the bed. When the little one got older, he would miss these times when he would want to sleep with an old man like him, not to mention he always slept better with his son by his side. Bae snuggles under the blankets quickly and giggles when his father pulls him closer under the sheets.

"Do you promise now?" Bae turns to face Rumple and lays his head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"I would have promised anyways, Papa. I won't ever run away again, ever, even if Mama leaves I won't run away and I will wait here in the house waiting for you all night if I have too, and even if it is all night I will always run to you and almost knock you down."

"You won't knock me down, Bae, your too little."

"I'm not that little," he says, yawning. "The tall man said I was a big boy." Rumple sighs. This tall man, whoever he was clearly was up to no good with his wife, and with his son.

"Well even big boys are little sometimes." When he doesn't get a response, Rumple looks down to find his son asleep, his ear right above his heart. "What am I going to do with you," he whispers. "It's been four years yet to me, your still just a babe." It isn't long before the fire goes out, and the two of them sleep peacefully together. To Rumple's both concern and relief, Milah doesn't come home that night.


End file.
